Bound By Law
by NintendoGal55
Summary: Companion fic to "Love So True", this time in Helga's perspective. She wonders just what it is about Arnold that draws her to him, and facing some tough times along the way.
1. Helga G Williams

**Hello everyone. :) Here's a one-shot companion fic to "Love So True", this time in Helga's perspective. Only, hers will be told in first person. So we'll dive in a bit to see what her feelings are on everything. :D**

**This is, once again, dedicated to One Fine Wire, who has been immensely helpful in structuring the story right, and loving it so much. **

**And of course, to all of you wonderful, dear constant readers. :)**

**And also to my buddy/sister Maria, aka KasuKapl, who LOVES this fic too and has been very supportive. :D**

**And also to my other buddy/sister Reihikaruchiba. She also did WONDERFUL fanart for chapter eight. :D http:/ reihikaruchiba. / gallery /#/ d301wu3 (Remove the spaces) You'll love it!**

**Enjoy, everyone. :D **

**HA characters belong to Craig Bartlett**

**Henry Townshend and Eileen Galvin belong to Konami (Though they're only mentioned here, but will be featured in part two.)**

XXX

I never knew what it was about Arnold. And yet it seemed obvious, in a way. I liked him so much. A lot more than as a friend, which was weird to me. I mean, I'm married, and I love my husband very much, and I love my life as it is now. At times he's like my "celebrity crush", pretty much. But I just don't understand.

It was funny, though. I always had strange feelings when I was near him. Strange urges, if you will. Like I wanted to do something that was far beyond familial or platonic.

Especially that one night, when we left the school board office building, after the meeting with the board members and school representatives. We were in the parking lot, standing next to my car. We were embracing...and even though it was pretty chilly that night, I felt so warm in his arms. So safe. I don't know why I hugged him. I only hugged people I cared about, like my family, my husband and very close friends. And sure, at that point Arnold and I knew each other fairly well and got along great, I guess you could say we were friends, but...to hug him? I have no idea why I felt so compelled to hug him at all! But when I did, I felt so warm, safe, and comforted. Like everything would be okay. Ohhh, I felt so wonderful when he hugged me back...

And then we just had this moment.

We were looking at each other, still in each other's arms, just looking each other's eyes. I can't lie, he has gorgeous green eyes, that even in the dark of the night, were still shining and beautiful. I got so lost in his eyes, I just seemed to forget where I was and what was going on, like I was tuning everything out. Everything but him. This moment was so intense, and I just...had this urge.

I wanted to kiss him.

We were so close, too. It would've been so easy. In fact, I played it out in my head. All I had to do was place my hands on the nape of his neck, lean up to his level, and just kiss him. I fantasized that for what seemed like hours, and my hands were just ITCHING to move so I could do it. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kiss and kiss him and get lost in him. I wanted to kiss him _so badly_. And I still wish I knew why.

But I knew I couldn't. I had to break it, fast. Thankfully I managed to, and we parted ways for the evening. At the same time I felt a pang of regret, wishing I could have just screwed the rules and kissed him. But I knew I couldn't. Hell, I can't right NOW, he's getting a divorce. Poor guy. A long time ago I wouldn't have cared, it wasn't my problem. Of course that was before Brian came along. And that was before I grew up. Still, even so, I feel terrible for him. But I know he needs it, I could tell. His married life wasn't horrible or abysmal, but it was missing a lot of what was needed to make a marriage work, and especially resulted in losing his first child. Besides, he needs to get his life on a good track and have a chance to truly do what he loves. I just hope it all goes smoothly for him. He deserves it.

Still, aside from everything, something was amiss. I didn't know what it was. I had never felt this way around another man before. Brian was always the one I loved, and who I felt such feelings toward. Sure they say that at times we have fantasies about being with other men, which are all harmless. But what happens when that other man happens to be someone you're growing to be friends with, and seem to feel that with almost every time you're near him? What was up with that? _Why_ did I have to suppress urges around him? It didn't make sense. I wasn't new to spotting men around and finding them attractive, obviously, but that was nothing. This was different. What the hell was wrong with me?

I had no idea, and for some reason it led to what happened to me today.

The morning seemed to be a blur. I awoke early, before my husband, and got up, showered and dressed, ready for work. It's not long after I make some breakfast that Arnold calls me up, asking me for some advice and who he can turn to in finding a good divorce attorney. I can see why he asked me, since I'm attorney myself. And a damn good one! I felt bad for him, but was glad he and Ruth were moving forward in their lives with no hard feelings or bitter memories. And I was flattered he came to me of all people for help. Of course I was all too happy to help him out, after all, he had no idea what the process was. Then again, who did? Anyone could've used help with that. So I directed him to a couple of divorce attorneys I knew from work, and that was that.

Then he asked me to join him for lunch, with his colleague, that nice second-grade teacher Eileen Galvin and her boyfriend, that Henry Townshend dude I remember from when I was helping in the Walter Sullivan case. Hey, why not? I was definitely up for that. Sounded like fun. So I agreed to go, and la-dee-da. You get the point!

But then I was feeling sick. It started the night before, little inklings that I didn't concern myself over. The feelings stayed this morning, and got worse after a little while, especially when Brian was just leaving for work at the hospital. After that, something weird happened.

I later on found myself at P.S.118, good ol' elementary school. It was all a strange blur, but I remember walking in, which I guess looked funny. A blonde woman who looked out of it and sick in a business suit walking into an elementary school. Eventually I found myself in the main office, and I saw the surprised stare of Eileen Galvin, with her pale green eyes wide as saucers while she was getting some papers from the secretary. She came over to me and sat me down, asking me what I was doing here and what was wrong. All I remember was that I was asking where Arnold was in a very out of it kind of way. Must've been the fever. For some reason I just had to find him and see him, ask him for help. Why that all brought me here, I'll never know.

It's funny, you know. My own husband was a doctor, and worked in the hospital. You'd think that if I were sick as a dog, I'd go to him for help, wouldn't I? That would surely make more sense! But I have no idea why it didn't seem to register to me. I don't know why I didn't think of it.

Eileen seemed to understand me, so she told me to wait, I think she did, and then she dashed out of the office. I sat there for a few minutes, feeling nauseous, warm, weak, and dizzy. I wanted to curl up and sleep. Eileen eventually came back, with Arnold at her side. He came to me, asking me things I couldn't remember or make out, and obviously concerned. I felt his hand on my forehead, and for some reason my face felt heated up more, as if I were sitting in front of an open oven that was turned on. Next thing I knew, he was saying something to Eileen, who nodded and then said something to me with a warm, caring smile. I wanted to reach out and hug her, what a sweetheart. I was then helped to stand up, with Arnold asking me if I needed help standing. At least, I think that's what he asked.

Eventually we came back outside, and the cool air was a little more refreshing and I felt a soft wave of relief. I felt nauseous, though, and hoped I wouldn't throw up. That would've been _so_ humiliating. Then again, I was quite the basket case, even now at twenty-six.

Soon I was in the front seat of Arnold's Packard, wow, an old car and still running smoothly. He must've taken good care of it. I'm not sure how long I was sitting there, my head against the window, because the next thing I knew, I could make out the walls of our condo, and felt warm arms holding me with support as I was guided to the bedroom.

I fell back on the bed, breathing sporadically, but calming down at the welcoming comfort. Arnold stood over the bed and leaned down toward me, touching my forehead again and asking me something I couldn't make out. This was probably the sickness talking, but I had an urge to grab him into the bed with me and start ravishing him. In fact, one of my hands were moving to his shoulder, looking for a place to rest. He blushed and stood up a bit, and gently touched my hand.

Finally I caught his words as he said "You should change into your night clothes, so you can rest for a while. I'll call Brian, don't worry."

I simply nodded and lay back on my bed, trying to relax, but I seemed so lost in the painful feelings. I had a headache, I felt nauseous, I felt sluggish and icky. Today was just not a good day for me. I could hear Arnold's voice out in the main room of the condo on the phone, he sounded concerned and confused, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Was he talking to Brian? Where was Brainy? I didn't even know at the moment. I was so out of it, I guess.

Before long, he came back and felt my forehead, asking me how I was feeling. I mumbled to him, not sure what I said, but he took it in stride and then went to the bathroom. When he returned, he gave me some medicine caplets and a cup of water. So I took them, and eventually let myself fall asleep.

I came to later on in a daze, not quite knowing where I was, but I felt rested and a little less icky, but still sick. Arnold came in, and at first I was a little surprised, but he explained what was going on, and strangely I felt better, safe with him here. He offered to make me soup, which I gladly accepted. I was sick, but I did have a bit of an appetite. Just don't ask me to run a marathon.

Pathetic, huh? Helga G. Williams letting someone help. I was always a woman of pride. Not quite to the point of looking down on others thinking I was better than them, come on, that's just what douchebags and bitches do. I'm not one of them. Ha! Anyway, but because I didn't much feel like doing ANYTHING, or had the strength to for that matter, I just let him. Let him help me out.

Thankfully I didn't feel nauseous, but I hoped that the soup I ate wouldn't be coming back up later. Thankfully, it didn't.

I don't remember much of what happened afterwards, I just remember waking up at one point and Arnold was in the doorway, so I called out to him and asked him to sit next to the bed. We were talking a bit, although I don't recall all that we said. But I just knew he was concerned about my health. What a sweetheart. Despite how sick I was, I was pretty glad he was here with me. To have someone who genuinely cared about you, despite that they were not family nor married to you. It was sweet. More than that, really.

Still, he did try to convince me to rest and take it easy, despite that I was adamant about attending the court session the next day. I worked hard for it, and I wanted to see it through and help them all out. Was that too much to ask? Yes it was. Helga G. Williams had fallen! No! I have my pride! Why oh why must you be so cruel, whoever you are up there?

Ugh.

Maybe I need to clear my head at the moment. I'm not quite thinking clearly.

Brian. Brainy. Heh heh, Sir Wheeze-A-Lot. Maybe I'll suggest we go for a walk later. I also made a mental note to myself to call Kevin and Christine, see how they and soon-to-be baby snooks are doing.

XXX

**Stay tuned for part two! :D**


	2. Tragedy's Strenghts

**Oh boy. This is quite an emotional chapter to do. Much like before, with Arnold and Ruth...and now...yeah.**

***Sniffle***

**But, I have to do this. It's all part in tying the story together and showing the lessons Brainy must learn. This is the second and final part to this, so I hope you all enjoy. :D**

**Thanks, One Fine Wire. OwO This is for you. :D**

**HA characters belong to Craig Bartlett**

**Kevin and Christine belong to One Fine Wire**

**Henry and Eileen belong to Konami and Team Silent**

* * *

I can't believe what had happened.

Criminy, I didn't think this would happen _twice_. Twice! In the same damn year!

Brian's faced it a couple of times since he became a doctor, and Hell, when he was just starting out at the hospital as an assistant! But damn it, this is the second time it's happened to someone close. The first time may not have been close at first, but sure grew close. Now this time, it happened to a couple of friends.

Losing their child.

This time, _while pregnant_.

I couldn't believe it when I heard it.

It happened on that Thursday.

For starters, I was feeling so much better by then. The trial was postponed because I was sick. The judge handling the case, Judge Rebecca Jameson, also a friend of mine, understood that I was sick and unable to present the case and graciously agreed to postpone it by a week. The board members understood also, even if I was feeling pretty damn down about it. Real blow to my pride, you know.

Anyway, I wasn't sick anymore, so I was able to join Arnold for lunch that day, on a bit of a double friendly outing (on our part) slash date (on their part). Up until I got _that call_, it was very enjoyable.

We went to Bigal's Cafe that day, just as planned, and sat down together over a lunch of soup, bread, sandwiches, and the like.

I sat across from Eileen Galvin, and really got into talking with her and getting to know her more. She's such a sweet woman, very kind and understanding. It was pretty easy to talk to her, and though she was quite a talker, she could sure lend a good ear. We talked a lot about school, work, and even sports! It turned out Eileen liked to play tennis, and even on occasion, softball. She even coached P.S. 118's Girls Softball team for the second and third graders as a bit of a side job, which was pretty neat to hear about. I had a good feeling Eileen and I would get along. She was quite the gal, pretty worthy of kicking anyone's sorry ass who dared mess with her! What a gal.

Henry, although more quiet, was still a pretty interesting fellow in his own right. I'd met him a few times before and talked to him, he was pretty nice and very sweet, despite being quiet and serious all the time. He was pretty cute, too. He just had an edge with that unkempt, shaggy brown hair of his, the subdued but soft green eyes of his, and that five o'clock shadow. Something about him, he just has an edge. ...And he's a cutie, heh heh. No wonder Eileen's so ga-ga over him! He was very shy and introverted, which I could relate to in some ways, and he was more of a listener than a speaker. But the way he'd look to you, in the eye or not, you could tell he was thinking things through and paying attention. I decided the moment I met him before and now that I liked him. And it was fun to make him blush and look away. Heh, the shy guys are always the cutest.

They were such a cute couple. Eileen was gutsy and more open, (and I'll bet she made the first move when they got together) while Henry was softer and quiet, you could tell they balanced each other perfectly. So similar, having the same hair and eyes, and yet they were pretty different. Brian always said that couples definitely work when they have a good set of differences between them, to add to the fun and create the right balance. Heh, that's a good point. But of course I already knew that since forever ago. But I guess it doesn't hurt to hear it from someone else. They were cute to watch, the way Eileen would lean a little toward him and touch his arm, to which he'd respond to with mild surprise and a teeniest hint of a blush. But within an instant he'd get a warm, loving look in his eyes as he gazed toward her and quietly accepted her affectionate gestures. Hell, he'd return them here and there, by touching her hand, nudging her leg with his own, or just shifting his chair closer to hers just a bit.

So cute.

Also during that date, I couldn't help but put a little bit of that on Arnold, too, since he sat next to me. Of course, they came off as friendly, playful gestures (I hope) to him, and to Henry and Eileen. I too would nudge his leg with mine, elbow him in the side, touch his shoulder or forearm, and even lean toward him more. Hell, I even squeezed his knee for half a second! He laughed as if he'd been goosed and I played it off as if I were just being a silly friend. Admittedly, we were pretty comfortable with affectionate touches, whenever we could, so I guess it helped.

Funny though, I was hardly ever that comfortable touching a guy friend. Sure, I would, with nudges or hand on the shoulder, but they were always when the moment was appropriate and was strictly platonic. Arnold, meanwhile, I could pretty much say I couldn't keep my hands off him. It's like someone with a nervous twitch, and how they feel they have to hold something and fiddle with it, otherwise their hands would feel restless and desperately seek something to hold.

Shit. That wasn't what was happening with me...right? Maybe not that extreme, sure, but it was definitely concerning.

Oh, criminy.

What the hell is wrong with me. I try to tell a story and immediately I go into talking about him! I can't get him out of my head. He will never leave, it will never leave! It's like a catchy song that won't get out of your head.

Arnold does so many things to me, it's not even funny. And the sad thing is, if you can consider it sad. I _like_ it. A lot. Hell, I love what he does to me. It's kind of like he somehow opens a passionate, fiery side of me I never knew I had. Or...hadn't looked to in a long time. Sure I was always a passionate and opinionated kinda gal to boot, but this was just different. He awakens a different side of me. But at the same time, it almost feels like something holds me back from fully embracing it. But why would I want to embrace it? What's going on with it? I just had to know.

Moreover, why?

Okay, why the hell am I even talking about this? Never mind!

This brings me to what happened a few weeks ago at this point.

The point is, we had an awesome lunch together, we really did. But then, my cell phone went off (it was on vibrate) in my pocket. Of course I wasn't above going to smack someone upside the head who dared answer their cell phone while seeing someone for lunch, but I took it out of my pocket just for a brief moment so I could see who it was, and make a mental note to myself to call them back later.

But I saw that it was Brian calling me from the hospital. He never called me from the hospital phone unless it was some kind of an emergency. If he had to call me from work for whatever reason, like if he needed me to pick something up from the store on my way home, he would use his cell phone. But no, he was calling me right from the hospital.

That meant something was wrong.

When I answered my phone after telling everyone the reason I had to, I was met by Brian's fairly worried and grim voice telling me that my friends, Kevin and Christine, were in the hospital. They had been in a car accident. By the looks of things, neither of them were severely hurt, but...it looked like their baby wasn't going to make it.

I panicked.

Naturally, everyone at the table wondered what was going on, and I hurriedly explained I had to get to the hospital _now_, since friends of mine were in an accident and I wanted to go to make sure they were all right. Arnold of course offered to give me a ride, since I had walked here. I tried to refuse, but he insisted. Not only that, but Eileen stepped up and said that she and Henry would come too, to offer their support. Once more I opened my mouth to refuse, I hated having to drag them into this when it really wasn't their concern, but of course they didn't back down. Henry even spoke up and said that they wanted to help. I tried to argue, but I guess I was too worried to let myself try further, so I just ended up giving in.

I went with Arnold in his car, while Henry and Eileen followed behind us in their car. Against my better judgement, I held Arnold's hand the entire ride there. I was so nervous, so worried for my friends, that I barely noticed. If I did, I didn't care. Arnold certainly had no complaints, since he made no attempt to pull his hand away at all.

We made it to the hospital, and Brian and Stella met us there, taking us to a private room to wait in. It was all reminding me of before, back several months ago. At the time we got there, Kevin and Christine were having their wounds treated and being tested and checked for any further injuries or damage. The baby, however, they weren't as optimistic about, but were still trying to see if it could be saved. So far, Kevin and Christine were fine, aside from their injuries.

The other driver, who had lost control of his car due to engine trouble, had also been fortunate and wasn't suffering any major injuries aside from cuts and scrapes, and a sprained wrist. He too was all right, despite that he felt horrible for what had happened, I heard.

So we sat there in the room for a while, very quiet. At some point, Arnold brought his arm around my shoulders in comfort, and I was grateful for it. A small part of me felt like a young school girl with a crush, but I brushed those thoughts off. None the less, I welcomed his comfort. It was strange, how most guys would only end up being pushed away if they touched me like this. But not Arnold. Time went by, I wasn't sure how long, as I grew more and more anxious.

This was going to be a long day, I knew it.

* * *

It was some time later, when Brian came in to tell us the news of what was going on now. He had been doing that over the course of the past few hours to keep us updated. By then I was so worried that I was practically on the verge of tears, especially for their baby.

"Well...I've got good news and bad news." Brian murmured, facing us. Especially Arnold and I. He had this odd look in his eyes, which I couldn't place. I supposed it was from taking all of this in.

"...Tell us the good news first." Arnold finally said.

Brian nodded. "Okay. Well, the good news is, Kevin and Christine are just fine. They had to get some stitches, and take some medication to prevent infections and whatnot. Bruises, cuts, and a few sprained limbs, but nothing is broken. They just need to stay in the hospital overnight for observation. The bad news...I'm afraid the baby didn't make it. He died, due to the impact and other complications that had occurred. They're going to perform surgery as soon as possible to remove the baby from her womb."

It was almost to be expected, given the situation, but it just struck all of us hard. Especially Arnold. I could see the colour draining from his face, and his eyes seem to go wide and then droop. It reminded me so much of the time seeing his face after he had been told that he had lost his own child. The face that had broken my heart, and made me just want to hug him. Which I had done. I remember it so vividly. I remember hugging him, and comforting him. It almost seemed so unlike me to do, even at that point in my life, but it just felt so natural. Naturally anyone would feel sad during that kind of thing, but it felt different in a way. Seeing him sad just made _me_ feel just as sad. My heart went out to him that night, and just never left. He knew what it felt like to lose a child, the _first_ child no less. Sure, he and Ruth lost their baby and faced it being a stillborn, while Christine was only a few months pregnant, it was still the same kind of thing. Just on a different level of circumstances.

Tears ran down my face, almost against my will. I couldn't believe the horrible misfortune Kevin and Christine, such wonderful people, had to face. It was just absolutely heartbreaking. They were so looking forward to being parents, to having their son and loving him and raising him. Now fate dealt them with a bad hand and caused them to lose their baby through an accident far beyond their control. One single occurrence ruined their lives. At least, this part of their lives. And just when it seemed that they surpassed the fact that Christine was infertile. Just when their dreams of finally becoming a family were going to come true. So many good people out there wanted to be parents. Why couldn't they? Why did one stupid thing have to rob them of that?

I felt angry, I felt sad, I felt _betrayed_ for them. Good people who had done well in their own lives to themselves and each other happy, and have helped countless others and still continue to do so, have just been wronged in something that wasn't their fault.

Arnold seemed to sense my feelings, and then he brought his arms around me and held me closer. Almost reminiscent to the time I had hugged him in comfort as well. Maybe I wasn't the victim in this misfortune, but it did still hurt a lot, most especially because my good friends were the victims.

"It's not fair." I managed, trembling. "Christine was going to be an awesome mother! And Kevin was going to be a great dad! Why..._why_?"

"It's just something accidental, and above all _stupid_." Eileen said in response, looking ready to cry herself. "No one deserves this kind of thing." She placed her hand on my back and stroked it along in small circles to comfort me. "You're a really good friend to come and offer your support to them, Mrs. Williams."

Through my sniffling, I turned my head a bit to look into the younger woman's sweet, pale green eyes. "...Call me Helga, Eileen."

She smiled at me a bit. "Okay, Helga. It's all right to let it all out. That's why we're all here. Your friend Christine will need a lot of help and support from her girl friends, which is always important to have."

I nodded in agreement, smiling toward her in gratitude before I lay my head on Arnold's shoulder, crying into his neck.

"Their baby will always be with them in spirit, Helga." He whispered to me softly, stroking my hair. It soothed me so much when he did that... "Like you told me yourself...even if their baby didn't live like he should have, he'll always be their first. Always be with them in spirit. Always be in their hearts."

I sniffled again, and felt a little smile stretch on my lips again. Who would've thought he'd use my own comforting words to him right back to me? I wanted to laugh at that, but I didn't. Not right now. I just let him hold me as I snuggled into him, comforted by his warm embrace, the sound of his voice in my ear, and the smell of his shampoo. There was something familiar about that shampoo, but I just couldn't place it.

"You can go see them in a few minutes. I'll let you know when." Brian added, looking a mixture of tired, sympathetic, sad, as well as something else I couldn't place. Once more, he was fixated on Arnold and I for some reason. "I'll be back." He left the room, and closed the door behind him.

A few minutes of silence passed us, except for the sounds of my sobs, and Arnold whispering soothingly into my ear. It was then that I felt another hand touch my shoulder. I knew it wasn't Arnold's, it wasn't Eileen's since her hand was still on my back, but it was a larger, stronger hand. With a sniffle, I turned a little to see Henry now looking at me with a serious, intense gaze. It was amazing how he was able not to show his emotions, but you could tell he was definitely devastated from hearing this kind of news. Anyone would. He was just better at hiding it.

"I knew some friends," He said, eyes own hazel-green eyes bearing into my own. "who also had a miscarriage."

Wiping my eyes, I looked at him a bit more. "What happened...?" I couldn't help but ask.

Henry sighed as he averted his gaze for a moment, before looking back at me and continuing. "One of my friends had a girlfriend who was a drug addict. The baby died from exposure to dangerous drugs. ...It hurt my friend a lot."

My eyes widened at this, unable to believe just how _horrible _that was. Who in the right mind was crazy enough to ingest dangerous drugs while _pregnant_? This was something you would see on _CSI_ or _Law & Order_, one of those crime cop dramas. Unbelievable.

"It's true." Eileen chimed in, wiping her tears too. "I met this friend, actually. He told us the story, and it was very heartbreaking."

"Our superintendent at our old apartment in Ashfield, his name was Frank Sunderland. His son and his wife had a baby two years ago. The baby died three days after she was born, of a rare disease." Henry continued. "He invited us to go visit them in the hospital."

"That had to be the saddest thing I'd seen in probably a long time." Eileen said, leaning her head back as she recalled the memory.

I sat there, absorbing what they were telling me, and I could see Arnold was too. People who had lost their children for various reasons. Either while pregnant, post-pregnancy, or having just been delivered. Either way it would happen, it was always horrible and traumatic. Brian always said, something that the receptionist Sylvia always said, and others have too, that parents should never outlive their kids.

Oh criminy...

Why did bad things happen to good people? Why Kevin and Christine? I knew I could ask myself that a million times and still never get a straight answer.

"What happened after?" Arnold then asked.

"They ended up adopting, from what I heard. An eight-year-old girl." Henry informed us.

"Frank invited us to go visit during Thanksgiving." Eileen put in. "So we could meet them, and meet their daughter. We'll show you some pictures when we come back, if you want."

I gave a little smile. "Sure. That'd be nice."

Adoption. Kevin and Christine considered adopting for some time after it was discovered that it would be very likely that she was infertile. But they had tried again, and succeeded. Only to fail. Again. I wondered then if they would try for adoption after all of this or not. Well, if it worked out for others, maybe, just maybe, it could work for them too, if they decided to go for it.

"That's good to hear." Arnold said, and stroked my hair, making me almost want to swoon, but I dared not. "I'm glad that worked out for them, really. ...Who knows, maybe Kevin and Christine will try for adoption, or a surrogate mother if all else fails."

How did this guy seem to know what I was thinking? You'd think that he knew me pretty well or something.

Oh, wait.

Criminy.

Well, one good thing did come out of all this. At least we made some new friends. And I knew that we would be there for Kevin and Christine, to really help them through this. And if anyone could help, I knew Arnold could.

* * *

Brian finally came back some time later to tell us we could go and see Kevin and Christine if we wanted. Their families in Idaho and California were already contacted, and were going to fly in to see them, and would be here within a few hours. Christine was to go into surgery the next day to perform the removal of her dead child, which I had a feeling was going to be painful for her. Not physically, I mean. She'd be asleep during the operation and not feel nor see a thing, but boy the mental pain was going to eat at her alive. That poor woman.

I went to see them, and Arnold came with me for support, which I was very thankful for. I invited Brian to come in too, but he had to go and discuss a few things with Stella and Kevin and Christine's doctors. Eileen said we should go in there alone to see them, and would wait for us in the cafeteria when we were done, but would offer their support if we or they needed it. I did try to say they could, but she understood what we needed to do, and so I shut up and said we'd meet them there.

They were in the same room, in different beds side-by-side. Kevin had some bandages on his arms and legs, and one around his head, too, hooked up to an IV. His glasses were broken, but his eyes thankfully weren't damaged. Christine had a few bandages on her face, forehead, arms, and her legs. She too was hooked up to an IV. Her swollen stomach was prominent under the bed covers and her hospital gown, and was now a painful reminder of a life that would never be.

Christine looked at me as we came in, and she gave a little smile. Kevin noticed us and smiled too, I guess despite everything, they were glad to see us. They were tired and doped up from the painkillers and whatever else, but they were doing all right.

"Oh Helga...I'm glad you came here." Christine said, reaching for my hand. "I'm sorry we had to interrupt your day like this."

I blinked. THEY were the ones in the accident and SHE was apologizing to US? I was baffled. This was something Arnold would say or do. You could accidentally step on the guy's foot and HE would apologize to you. Wow.

None the less, it was sweet of her. How could I scold that sweet woman of such a thing, especially during this moment? Gotta know when to calm the Pataki in me!

"Chrissy..." I said, not quite knowing why I called her THAT. "I wanted to come see you, we all did. We wanted to make sure you guys were okay."

"We're fine." Kevin said. "For the most part, anyway."

Christine gave me a sad look before looking to her stomach, sighing. "Helga... I was so scared this would happen. And yet, it just came out of nowhere. I-I would have given up my life if it meant my child could live...I really would have."

I didn't doubt that one bit. Arnold stepped over to her then, and gave a warm smile, laced with sympathy. She looked at him curiously, and a wave of recognition came to her face.

"I'm sorry about your baby, Christine. I'm Arnold. I don't know if you remember me or not, but I was one of the teachers who was helping out at the conference a few months ago."

"I-I do remember you, Arnold." Christine murmured. "Helga told me a lot about you. ...I heard about, what happened with your baby, too."

"Thanks for coming, Arnold." Kevin chimed in. I could tell he was glad to be able to talk to someone who knew exactly how it felt to lose a child, especially your first child, and I knew Christine was, too.

"You're welcome, Kevin." He said, nodding toward him. "It's my pleasure. And besides, I wanted to be there for Helga, too. I know how much this means to her."

I must've been blushing by then since I felt my cheeks getting hot. Arnold could say the right things and yet practically put me on the spot at the same time! Damn this man...damn him to wonders. How he even did this, I expect I'll never know.

Christine smiled in gratitude, but immediately I could see that her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. The pain was getting to her. So I sat down on a chair beside her bed, holding her hand and squeezing it in comfort. Arnold squeezed my shoulder in support for a moment before he let go and sat down on the couch near the beds.

"I don't want to lose the baby...but it's too late." Christine sniffled, looking at me sadly. "This is so...it's so hard. We were so happy, so excited...we had a name picked out for him and everything. We were looking forward to this. _So much_."

"You would've been great parents." I said honestly, allowing myself to slip into being sweet to them now. The tough love would come later. "I don't think he could have asked for better a better mother and father."

"We liked to think so." Kevin murmured, reaching across the gap between the beds for his wife's other hand. "We were so ready to be parents...as if waiting was hard enough, and now..." He sighed. "This is absolutely devastating."

"The hospital will help you guys a lot, there's been a lot of support groups and teams of specialists who deal with people who lost their children somehow." Arnold put in. "My soon-to-be ex-wife and I had a lot of help from them, as well as our families and friends, which has done us a lot of good."

"Exactly." I agreed. "And you know, you're not alone, either. You've got us! And your parents, and your friends, and each other."

Kevin and Christine exchanged sad but loving glances with one another as they squeezed each other's hands.

"You're right." Christine said softly. "It...it will take a while to...to adjust and recover from this loss. But...but we'll get through it. I know...I know that our baby won't want us to dwell on this." More tears rolled down her face, and I know that as true as she was to her words, it was still going to be difficult for her to truly come up to.

"You will make it." Arnold said to them, very seriously, but kindly. "It's never going to be easy for you, even when you do get over it as much as you can. Losing my child was the hardest thing I'd ever gone through. And even today it's still hard to think about. But, for the most part, you'll make it and be able to really live your life again. And he'll always be in your hearts, and always your first."

I smiled toward him, and he looked a little bashful. Turning back to Kevin and Christine, I nodded in agreement. "He's right. He's been through it and rose from the ashes of the tragedy, a lot of people out there have done the same...and I know you guys will, too. We have faith in you. So you two better buck up! Else I'll bring Ol' Betsy out of retirement!"

A small laugh escaped Kevin and Christine smiled a little more. I wasn't lying when I said we had faith in them, I know everyone who loved them did. They had been through their share of hardships, big and small, throughout their lives that had brought them down a few pegs. But they always surpassed the obstacle and moved on to the next stage of life. I knew this would be no different. Kevin and Christine were one of the strongest people I knew, and it would be completely out of character for them to give up. Especially so quickly.

People even pegged me as that kind of person. That all the shit I had going on in my life in my childhood, and even into my teen years would lead me to becoming a depressed little angsty brooding bitch who would end up living in a roach infested apartment with rags, and then committing suicide. HA! What a joke. I was a heck of a lot stronger than that. I wouldn't let myself fall that far. I had more pride and strength than that. Even if not from others, then in myself.

No way was I letting THAT kind of thing happened to my friends. Not to Kevin and Christine, either. Nothing was going to stop these wonderful people from living their lives and moving on. After all, they had found happiness in each other, their friends, their families, and other aspects of their lives. But they didn't feel complete even so, because they wanted to have a family. That was going to look really good on their adoption portfolio if they did decided to choose to adopt.

And we would be there to help them every step of the way.

Arnold and I stayed with them a little longer, before one of the doctors handling them came and said that they needed to rest for a while. So we left, telling them we would come back the next day. Kevin and Christine were glad to hear that, and thanked us for coming.

We headed out to the cafeteria together, and even though the tragedy and the accident itself did still plague my mind, I felt a lot more reassured now that we've seen Kevin and Christine, and I knew they would make it. Even if it would be hard as hell and would take a lot of time. But I felt a lot better coming out of that room than I did going in.

Before we went into the cafeteria, I pulled Arnold aside and gave him a hug. I don't know why I did that, I guess the fact I needed one, or just wanted to be close to someone who was being so sweet and supportive not only to me, but to my close friends too were factors to consider. I couldn't help it. He was just such a wonderful friend. I was so grateful for his friendship and support, I really was. I even felt like I was flying when he hugged me back. Ohhhh...his embrace was so warm and wonderful!

Criminy, not again!

I thanked him for what he'd done, thanked him for being there for me, thanked him for coming with me, thanked him for his support, and thanked him for being supportive to Kevin and Christine.

I could tell Arnold was blushing, but he said I was welcome for it all and that it was no trouble.

Why did he have to be so wonderful? Why did he have to make me like him _even more_?

Whatever it was, I did have to thank whoever it was that thrust this irresistible and wonderful creature into my sights. I really did.

When we finally pulled apart (especially with me trying to calm down my urges to kiss him AGAIN), we went into the cafeteria and joined up with Henry and Eileen, who were having coffee while waiting for us. Arnold apologized for making them wait and also for dragging them into this, but Eileen said once more that it was no problem, because they wanted to help. They wanted to be supportive.

Like Arnold, I knew then more and more that Henry was very altruistic and had a tendency to help others even if he didn't know them. No wonder these guys were getting along so well. No wonder Eileen was hooked like a fish. Hee hee.

Overall, it was a pretty good day that day. Even with the tragedy that had occurred, it just seemed to bring everyone out of it a lot stronger. It really did.

Nowadays, there was a lot at stake. And by now, I knew just what was practically killing me inside, even if not in the strictest definition of the term.

I just hoped something would be done about it somehow.

* * *

While Arnold was gone on his travels, which he definitely needed to do, I really found myself missing him. I felt like I was just getting to know him, rediscovering the boy that had once been barely even a blip on my radar. I just really missed him.

Because of it, I actually wrote a personal letter to him. Arnold always wrote letters or postcards addressed to Brian and me, but this time, I just wrote a personal letter to him. I don't know, I just felt I needed to do it. So I did, and a few weeks later, he wrote a personal letter back to me.

We'd been doing that ever since.

Sometimes, I just can't help but wonder what will end happening between us.

It was such a blessing and a curse to have a wonderful friend like him. It really was.

If I wasn't married, if I wasn't bound by law...what would I do?

* * *

**The End. **

**Thanks for reading! :) Hope you enjoyed seeing Helga's perspective in this.**


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